First Impressions of the Laboratory

It is strictly forbidden to bring food or drink of any kind into a research lab. This includes bottled water and cups of coffee! There are no exceptions. You do not bring anything that you intend to consume into the same space where you are working with hazardous chemicals or dangerous microorganisms. That is just common sense.

Smoking is forbidden on the University campus except is specially designated areas. The use of alcohol or other intoxicants is strictly forbidden and you can be suspended for being under the influence of such substances inside a research lab.

Safety in research labs depends on the people working there having a thorough understanding of the chemicals and equipment in use and following all relevant rules. Every lab is different and you must familiarise yourself carefully with the rules that have been set for the lab in which you are working.

Your safety depends on your knowledge of the tasks you are doing and how well you have prepared before starting work.

Find out about the chemicals and equipment you will be using:

• In the case of equipment, look for information and ask for a demonstration before turning it on. Lab equipment is often extremely complicated and expensive and nobody who hasn't had the right training has any business touching it.
• In the case of a chemical, it is important to get to know its properties and how it behaves. Is it flammable, corrosive or toxic? Read the labels on containers and the guidelines included to find out. Safety data sheets (SDS) for each chemical are also accessible online and provide detailed information about its handling and properties. If there is no information there, it is your responsibility to find information before you start working with the chemical.

Thorough preparation is essential if things are to go according to plan and correct working practices are the key to success. If you are in any doubt about how to perform a task, you must find more information and/or request a demonstration. Here are a few points to bear in mind.

• Unauthorised persons may not enter research labs or equipment rooms. These rooms must be locked when nobody is working there.
• If in doubt, ask your manager or supervisor for information and request a demonstration or training in the use of equipment or handling of chemicals you are supposed to be working with.
• Do not touch or mess about with anything in a research lab that you are not familiar with or do not know the purpose of.
• Have burners lit for as short a time as possible, especially if flammable chemicals are used in the lab. Make sure that burners are working as they are supposed to. Never leave a lit burner unattended.
• Handle all chemicals with the utmost care, always read the safety data sheet (SDS) before looking for information online.
• Label solutions and mixtures thoroughly, including details of the contents, the date and your name or initials. Store them in a safe place.
• Use the correct personal protective equipment and tie up long hair.
• Always use safety goggles and gloves when working with chemicals. Whether in liquid or powder form.
• Normal glasses are no substitute for safety goggles unless they have side shields.
• Take off your lab coat and gloves before leaving the lab.
• Always be tidy and put everything away when you have finished using it.
• Wear closed shoes in the lab – this will protect you in case of spills or if anything falls on your toes.
• Wash your hands regularly and always before leaving the lab. Use soap, not organic solvents.
• Never work alone in the lab in the evenings or at weekends.
• If there is an accident, call for help and report it immediately.
• Never suck anything into a pipette using your mouth – use a hand pump or a rubber bulb.
• Do not leave clothing or bags in walkways where people could trip over them.
• Never touch, taste or sniff a chemical if you don't know what it is. The odour does not tell you anything about how hazardous the chemical is. Many lethal chemicals have no odour, such as carbon monoxide (CO). All work with hazardous and harmful chemicals must be done in a fume hood. Remember to close all containers properly after use. Keep your work area clean and tidy. In this way you can always see everything you are working with.
• If you are working with a sample or unknown chemical, always treat it as "the most dangerous chemical in the world" until you have learned its properties. Nobody is permitted to work with lethal chemicals without the appropriate training. Walk slowly if you need to move chemicals from one place to another, do not run!
• All containers should be properly closed as you move them. Do not leave bags, clothes or anything else in walkways so that nobody bumps into them and falls. Watch out for wet patches on the floor. Make sure that your entire work area is clean, particularly around balances, in fume hoods and where chemicals are stored.
• All bottles and containers should be clean and the outside free of strings, drops or residues. Clean up after yourself before putting the chemical away so that the next user does not get the chemical on themselves. When tidying up chemicals, never pour them back into the containers! If a chemical has spilled, glass broken or something similar, you should clean it up immediately in accordance with the relevant procedures.
• Tables, floors and fume hoods must be clean at the end of the working day.
• Work with flammable chemicals such as solvents should be done in fume hoods. These chemicals may never be heated with gas flames, only in a water bath. When pipetting, always use a rubber bulb or other aid. Never suck up liquid or samples with your mouth.
• It is strictly forbidden to take chemicals out of the lab for your own use. Doing this will get you reprimanded or suspended.
• Never be alone at work in a laboratory.

Everybody must ensure their work area is clean at the end of the working day. Cleaning staff and other staff (and students) should be able to trust that if they touch a surface, they will not come into contact with a pathogen or chemical that could be harmful to their health.

Before leaving your work area, you must do the following:

• Turn off gas, water and electricity
• Turn off any equipment that does not need to be on
• Clean the work area
• Make sure that all containers are closed
• Make sure all chemicals have been put away correctly
• Close fume hoods
• Wash your hands